In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Carabao Cup final, Mauricio Pochettino has addressed the mind games initiated by Jurgen Klopp, emphasising the focus on his team’s preparation for the crucial clash.
The Liverpool manager indicated that his team will not be considered clear favourites, despite securing a comfortable 4-1 victory over the Blues at Anfield less than a month ago.
Klopp is of the opinion that their counterparts from west London have shown improvement leading up to their upcoming encounter at Wembley.
“Will we be big favourites? Definitely not,” he said. “Since we [last] played [Chelsea], they have improved a lot and it will be tricky.”
Chelsea boss Pochettino playfully remarked that his counterpart Klopp is being ‘clever’ in his statements about the upcoming final.
The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager joked that his own team isn’t being considered the favourite for the match as well.
Pochettino went on to explain Klopp’s perspective behind indicating that Liverpool might not be the favoured side in his press conference.
“Yes because he is one of the best, with Pep [Guardiola], coaches in the world and he is clever enough, and he knows, that when you arrive and play a final, there are always circumstances that can happen. Of course, if they are not the favourites, then we are not the favourites [laughs],” he said.
“If he said that, this means Liverpool are favourites because after eight years, in the last few years, they have the experience to compete like a team and be involved in different finals.
“For me, our players are not only new in this competition, in the Premier League or the Carabao Cup, but for some of them, it is maybe their first final. That is why it makes them favourites. But he’s clever enough to say 50-50.”
He added: “For sure. He knows that it is like this,”Â
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